Following are nine common myths regarding lethal white syndrome. The correct information is provided by the University of Minnesota Equine Genetics Group. Myth #1: All overo horses are carriers of the lethal allele.

Fact: There are many overos that do not carry the lethal allele.

Myth #2: Twenty-five percent of foals from two overo parents will be lethal whites.

Fact: Because there are overos that do not carry the allele, the incidence of lethal white syndrome is less than 25 percent in overo-to-overo matings.

Yes exactly, I am just saying to everyone who says lethal white foals can be born with any horse (I have had people on here tell me that) that to have a chance of producing a LW foal, both parents have to have an overo gene.

Any horse can have the frame gene, even if they have little to no white on their body. So technically every horse should get tested for frame to be safe. Obviously a homozygous recessive frame horse, oo, does not have any frame and cannot produce a LWO foal. There are heterozygous frame horses, Oo, that display only a star or no white at all and others that are obviously frame and very loudly display white. Technically, yes, any horse has the potential to produce a LWO foal if they are hiding frame.

Any horse can have the frame gene, even if they have little to no white on their body. So technically every horse should get tested for frame to be safe. Obviously a homozygous recessive frame horse, oo, does not have any frame and cannot produce a LWO foal. There are heterozygous frame horses, Oo, that display only a star or no white at all and others that are obviously frame and very loudly display white. Technically, yes, any horse has the potential to produce a LWO foal if they are hiding frame.

Yes exactly, I am just saying to everyone who says lethal white foals can be born with any horse (I have had people on here tell me that) that to have a chance of producing a LW foal, both parents have to have an overo gene.

to start "Overo" is a blanket it includes Splash,Sabino & Frame overo. It is ONLY the Frame overo gene that in in homozygous form produces a Lethal white baby. For that to happen both parents must be carriers of Frame{OLW}.When mated they have a 1 in 4 chance the baby produced will be a lethal white. The other 2 overo genes are negative for OLWS as are Tobiano's{not an overo but another patterning gene}. Problems arise as many horses can be Frame overo but it is minimally expressed or maybe present in combination with other paint patterning genes so not always recognizable phenotypically.Only sure way is to have your horse tested! See if he or she is a Frame/OLWS carrier prior to breeding,take away the guesswork & practice safe breeding by not crossing 2 carriers together

I have a question to add, as I'm still in the learning process with all these Paint genetics:

Oh vair oh, your information says that registered tobianos can also carry the Frame gene... But if they are TRUE tobianos, can they carry it?

I'm planning to eventually breed my APHA mare and am planning to test her beforehand, as she has at least Overo and Splash, and possibly frame. However, it has always been my intention to breed to a tobiano, as I prefer a solid face to a white face and would like to increase the odds of a tobiano pattern. (I know the odds would not necessarily be in my favor, but I'd like to try. Also, I agree with those that say it is stupid to breed for ONLY color, and am more interested in a good conformation/mind. But I am also interested in color, as a side note.)

Sorry for the relative threadjack... I'm very interested to learn as much as possible about the lethal white gene!

I have a question to add, as I'm still in the learning process with all these Paint genetics:

Oh vair oh, your information says that registered tobianos can also carry the Frame gene... But if they are TRUE tobianos, can they carry it?

I'm planning to eventually breed my APHA mare and am planning to test her beforehand, as she has at least Overo and Splash, and possibly frame. However, it has always been my intention to breed to a tobiano, as I prefer a solid face to a white face and would like to increase the odds of a tobiano pattern. (I know the odds would not necessarily be in my favor, but I'd like to try. Also, I agree with those that say it is stupid to breed for ONLY color, and am more interested in a good conformation/mind. But I am also interested in color, as a side note.)

Sorry for the relative threadjack... I'm very interested to learn as much as possible about the lethal white gene!

Many tobianos do carry frame, yes. In breeds that carry frame, it should be the very first thing that one does - eliminate the possibility of a lethal white foal. The prospective dam should be tested, so that the breeder can then determine which stallions to pick. The breeder should also request to see a copy of the test, not just rely on the stallion owner's word - this is the only way to be 100% sure.

This guy has been tested and is homozygous for tobiano. He also has frame, again, confirmed via testing.

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